SHOW AND TELL
Tomorrow’s Contract Floors ventured to Harrogate to catch up on the latest industry news and trends on display at The Flooring Show.
As the flooring event of the year unrolled at Harrogate International Centre the industry flocked in droves. This year’s show seemed busier than ever with many exhibitors commenting on the higher footfall to their stands. In fact, visitor numbers were up 9% on last year.
THE FLOORING STORE
OF THE FUTURE As always there was plenty to keep the visitors busy with lots of innovations and key trends to inspire specifiers and buyers going into the next year. The show kicked off on Sunday morning with an informative seminar from trend forecaster Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus on the The Flooring Shop Consumers Want in the Future. This seminar, held in the Business Enrichment Theatre, described the flooring store installation showcased in the Trends Hub.
Connecting with the female buyer is key to retail success. This can be done by displaying products in an attractive
WOOL TRENDS
A common thread in The Flooring Show story is always that of Wool and this year was no exception. Visitors were met at the entrance by a volcanic wool explosion and a large bespoke wool carpet provided by The Wool Carpet Focus Group. The carpet received heavy footfall over the three days experiencing the average wear of a home carpet during the course of a year. The carpet was then cleaned every evening using WoolSafe approved products, restoring it to look like new.
and encouraging way, said Phil. The shop window should act as a silent salesperson, enticing shoppers in by telling a story and creating a brand.
The Flooring Store of the Future concentrates on what the consumer actually wants in a shopping experience and according to Phil and the research carried out by various agencies there’s a huge disconnect in this area. The biggest mistake is that the majority of those making manufacturing and merchandising decisions in the industry are men whereas 85% of purchase decisions are made by women.
The Trends Hub installation physically demonstrated how this can be achieved through cutting confusion by offering fewer suppliers and showing the customer how flooring taps into key trends. To these ends there were innovative displays including a swing arm in the style of a consumer magazine and a wardrobe display of Ted Baker ceramic tiles, both of which were supplied by House of British Ceramic Tile.
An interior design table with paint and flooring samples offers inspiration whilst allowing the consumer to build their own mood boards. Phil suggested that displays in the shop should be classy and putting flooring samples in frames, making it look like art and connecting with ladies fashions are ways to do this.
12 | SPOTLIGHT ON THE FLOORING SHOW
The three-day carpet demo was live streamed highlighting not only the ease of cleaning but also its ability to bounce back after heavy footfall. These inherent qualities of wool were reiterated during the Campaign for Wool seminar by Brigitte Kelly of the foundation and Martin Curtis of the Wool Carpet Focus Group. The message was clear; wool is the stronger, smarter and safer alternative and as such worth the investment.
The seminar also introduced the Wool iBook, a new and exciting concept coming to retailers in 2016 on
woolretailer.com. The aim of this new app is two-fold: to give retailers information and ideas for promotion including window displays, trends and colours. For the consumer it will provide a bank of retailers, specialists and independents from where to make a purchase.
A wool trends installation by four leading designers showcased the versatility of the natural material in a design scheme. Styled in association with Homes & Gardens magazine and Sanderson and Zoffany fabrics, the centrepiece featured carpets from leading manufacturers including Axminster Carpets, Brintons and Westex.
www.tomorrowscontractfloors.com
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